Q1: What are some of the challenges you or your school are currently facing that is keeping you from reaching a level of excellence? In what ways do you strive to move beyond average in your role? #AKEdchat
A1: Some educators are simply exhausted from giving it their all non-stop the entire school year. In these moments, it is easy to slip back. Refocus, spend time w/students, find even the smallest of reasons to celebrate & be grateful for your abundance of blessings. #AKedchat
A1: I strive to try new things with my students even when they seem time-consuming, challenging, or intimidating. This is how I try to strive to move beyond average. #akedchat
Q1: What are some of the challenges you or your school are currently facing that is keeping you from reaching a level of excellence? In what ways do you strive to move beyond average in your role? #AKEdchat
I think sometimes there can be too many initiatives and priorities, so you can feel overwhelmed over what to do. Delegating & chunking off smaller steps can be so helpful. #akedchat
A1 Budget... apathy... lack of respect for my content. I do my best to push my program into the public eye and build it up as a community asset. #akedchat
In collaborating with someone can really help you achieve more than you can alone #akedchat in delegating, you can help develop someone’s potential too.
You are an orchestra teacher Walter. Who wouldn't appreciate that content? The fine arts are critical for our communities. Keep believing and inspiring! #Akedchat
A2: The best organizations understand that the key is to build their leadership capacity. Staff have been given permission to lead w/o fear. They lean on each other for support & know they don't need to have all the answers. #AKedchat
A2. I think leadership really has to play a role in cultivating the culture around their school. Without that vision, you will still find pockets of it but culture needs to be all around. Love the positivity @WhaleySchool has shown this year! #akedchat
A2: If a culture is too explicitly sought, it's more of an ideal goal than a true culture. A true school culture develops with time, hard work, and commitment from all stakeholders. #akedchat
A2: I was fortunate to inherit a building with strong culture &climate. I believe it takes being intentional and honest & encouraging the magic that takes place outside that comfort zone. #AKedchat
Yes, everyone is responsible for cultivating the culture of an organization, but we must model the way as school & district leaders. It starts with us. #AKedchat
A2 I think it's a mixture of respect. Once the students or staff stop respecting themselves, each other, or the space, it becomes difficult to make a positive culture seem like the cool thing to do. #akedchat
Q3: If we believe everyone in an organization has the capacity to lead, then why doesn’t everyone lead? What is holding them back? What changes need to happen for others to aspire for these roles? #AKEdchat
It's our job to model and lead, within realistic expectations. A culture must be grown based on serving the community it supports, and will never thrive if all stakeholders aren't positively involved in it. If a culture is only about the school leaders, it will fail. #akedchat
A3: Students & staff must be given permission to lead & in some cases personally invited to lead. This helps build confidence & inspires them to invest more in one another. This reduces the number of awfulizers because they begin to believe that things can be better. #Akedchat
A3 Leadership can be scary-it requires putting yourself out there. Current leaders need to help create “safe” leadership opportunities for others #AKedchat
A3: Young leaders often feel discouraged because more experienced Ts/school leaders feel as though the young should learn and not lead. We need to recognize the potential and ability of all of us to lead, the young and the experienced together. #akedchat
A3: I think it is b/c in order to be an effective leader we have to be willing to examine our own skill sets & attributes and ask ourselves, “Am I willing to change these in order to become more effective as a leader? #AKedchat
Yes Katherine. It is necessary that we INVEST time & resources in our newer staff members, but we cannot forget to REINVEST in our veteran staff members. #Akedchat
A3 It is unrealistic for everyone to be a leader. A good culture will encourage people to step up when they are needed, but also to follow someone else's lead. A team stops being effective when it has too many leaders and they get in each other's way. #akedchat
#akedchat I think that a lot of people are used to the model of having a foreman and workers that they can’t imagine an alternative model where all can contribute
A3: Leadership is not about the smartest person in the room - and it’s not what you achieve, it’s what you set in motion. Many have the skill set, but sometimes lack the personal skills to be effective. #AKedchat
I am not sure I agree with this Walter. In fact, I think it is important for everyone to lead. I think people just lead in different ways. One way is by modeling. This leadership quality is necessary to achieve a culture of excellence IMO. #Akedchat
Which is why it is so important that we invest in our staff in order to support them in developing the necessary skill sets and confidence needed to help lead. #akedchat
A3 : helping others lead can be harder than doing it yourself. It can take a lot of time & effort to give someone the skills and confidence to step up. #akedchat
Q4: It’s imperative we take care of our students. In what ways do you & your school demonstrate, celebrate, & recognize a “Can do” vs. a “Can’t Do” culture?” #AKEdchat
It might be harder, especially early on, but if we don't invest the time necessary then how can we ever ask out teachers to do the same in the classroom w/students. #akedchat
A4: I don't allow Ss to say "can't" in my classroom; when we hear it, we all help to rephrase their sentence using "haven't yet" instead of "can't." It seems like a small thing, but it's the small practiced habits that turn into positive life skills. #akedchat
A4 I think it's simply by doing what we want to do. Especially if someone tells me that we can't do something, usually my rebellious side kicks in and that's the first goal we try to accomplish. #akedchat
Q4: By practicing skills for perseverance. Often “I can’t” is accompanied by something getting in the way.(regulation, emotion..).We practice mindfulness, social thinking, & have a school wide theme. Next year is: You are a rainbow of possibilities #AKEdchat
A4: I cannot stress enough the importance of developing a strong student leadership program. So important to create opportunities for students to believe that their voice matters in decisions affecting the school community, no matter what their age. #Akedchat#stuvoice
A4 I’ve got my class community realizing more and more that their “I can’t” statements usually need to be followed with “right now” because there is a range of adaptions and supports we will make to flip the mindset to “I can” (once self regulated) #AKEdchat
Q4: I'm expanding recognition of student service and leadership through national orgs. National Honor Society was providing recognition for a small # of students, so we added a chapter of National Beta Club to recognize & encourage efforts of more students #akedchat
Q5: Sometimes we fall victim of being overly critical of our colleagues & supervisors. How can we change our words & actions so that we don’t bring harm to others, but rather lift them up? #AKEdchat
A4 As a district admin I’m always looking for ways to showcase staff and student successes. I also see myself as a lead blocker to help get them through obstacles and red tape. #AKEdChat
Q4: It’s imperative we take care of our students. In what ways do you & your school demonstrate, celebrate, & recognize a “Can do” vs. a “Can’t Do” culture?” #AKEdchat
A5: Believe that all people have good intentions. Don’t make assumptions about their behavior or decisions. We are all prone to believing we did the right thing even if our results were not what we had hoped for. #AKedchat
A4 - I'm expanding recognition for student leadership & service. Nat'l Honor Soc was only for small group of students, so I added Nat'l Senior Beta Club to encourage and recognize more students for their accomplishments. #akedchat
Q5: Model the way and make the commitment to work together. If we model being critical and hard on each other, we are poisoning our own water so to speak. #AKEdchat
A5: Believe that all people have good intentions. Don’t make assumptions about their behavior or decisions. We are all prone to believing we did the right thing even if our results were not what we had hoped for. #AKedchat
A5 Just came across this question/chat...I feel like asking questions is always a positive way to learn and grow regardless of the situation. #akedchat
A5 Don't be overly critical of our colleagues & supervisors. This seems like a simple question. Assume the best in others, and don't be a turd about it if people mess up. #akedchat
Q6: Great change begins w/self-change. Share how you will continue to “stay the course” moving forward when it’s needed & leave a positive mark on others? #AKEdchat
Q5: Model the way and make the commitment to work together. If we model being critical and hard on each other, we are poisoning our own water so to speak. #AKEdchat
A5: I want to turn the question to ask how we can be more welcoming to criticism - if we expect the best of others, we should expect that they give us critiques to help make us better, and not to bring us down. Utilizing criticism is one of the best ways to grow. #akedchat
A5: ask why someone did something before you make your final judgement. If you still disagree and for some reason NEED to comment, use facts, not opinions. #akedchat
When we have taken the time to personally invest in others to develop strong relationships, then the criticism/feedback can be more honest because they know you care about them. #akedchat
A6 Don’t be focused on “how your day went” but how you can “make the day” of others. Not always easy, but if you are intentional, it can impact the culture of your organization #AKedchat
Q6: Great change begins w/self-change. Share how you will continue to “stay the course” moving forward when it’s needed & leave a positive mark on others? #AKEdchat
Thank you everyone for being a part of #Akedchat tonight. I appreciate you staying up late with us tonight. I appreciate the honest convo. Keep inspiring! #akedchat
